Does White-nose Syndrome pose a risk to human health?
Thousands of people have visited affected caves and mines since White-nose Syndrome (WNS) was first observed, and there have been no reported human illnesses attributable to WNS. We are still learning about WNS, but we know of no risk to humans from contact with WNS-affected bats. However, we urge taking precautions and not exposing yourself to WNS. Biologists and researchers use protective clothing when entering caves or handling bats.
Learn more at the USGS White-Nose Syndrome website.
Related Content
Where do bats live?
Are bats dangerous?
What species of bats are affected by White-nose Syndrome?
What should I do if I find dead or dying bats, or if I observe bats with signs of White-nose Syndrome?
What is White-nose Syndrome?
U.S. Geological Survey response to white-nose syndrome in bats
OverviewSince its discovery in 2007, the fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome (WNS) has killed more than six million bats. Ten of 47 bat species have been affected by WNS across 32 States and 5 Canadian Provinces. The cold-growing fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) that causes WNS infects skin covering the muzzle, ears, and wings of...
Hopkins, M. Camille ; Soileau, Suzanna C.
Information to prevent human exposure to disease agents associated with wildlife—U.S. Geological Survey circulars on zoonotic disease
The U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others have published reports with information about geographic distribution, specific pathogens, disease ecology, and strategies to avoid exposure and infection for a selection of zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be passed from...
Meteyer, Carol U.; Moede Rogall, Gail
White-nose syndrome in North American bats - U.S. Geological Survey updates
White-nose syndrome is a devastating wildlife disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats. This disease first appeared in New York during 2007 and has continued to spread at an alarming rate from the northeastern to the central United States and throughout eastern Canada. The disease is named for the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans,...
Lankau, Emily W.; Moede Rogall, Gail
New Information on Bat Fungus Improves Detection of Deadly Disease
The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease of hibernating bats, spreads rapidly by way of bats, then establishes and persists in soil and on walls of underground hibernation sites, according to a study published today.
Trick or Treat? The Frightening Threats to Bats
Written by Marisa Lubeck and Ethan Alpern
Deadly Fungus Affecting Hibernating Bats Could Spread During Summer
The cold-loving fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd) that causes white-nose syndrome, a disease that has killed millions of North American bats during hibernation, could also spread in summer months. Bats and humans visiting contaminated caves and mines can inadvertently contribute to the spread of the fungus, according to a recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Hot new imagery of wintering bats suggests a group behavior for battling white-nose syndrome
Hot new imagery from temperature-sensing cameras suggests that bats who warm up from hibernation together throughout the winter may be better at surviving white nose syndrome, a disease caused by a cold-loving fungus ravaging insect-eating bat populations in the United States and Canada.
A Deadly Double Punch: Together, Turbines and Disease Jeopardize Endangered Bats
Bats Worth Billions to Agriculture: Pest-control Services at Risk
Pest-control services provided by insect-eating bats in the United States likely save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year, and yet insectivorous bats are among the most overlooked economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America, according to an analysis published in this week’s Science magazine Policy Forum.
Southeastern Bat with P. destructans Fungus
This southeastern bat (Myotis austroriparius) from Alabama shows signs of infection from the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center later confirmed white-nose syndrome in this animal, marking the first time that WNS was found in a southeastern bat. As of June 2017, the species joins eight other
...
White-Nose Syndrome Lesions Under UV Light
Long-wave ultraviolet (UV) and white-light illumination of lesions associated with white-nose syndrome. Points of orange–yellow fluorescence (arrows) detected on a roosting Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis) following surface illumination with a field-portable 9-watt 368-nm fluorescent UV light (photo by Tina Cheng with permission).
UV Light Showing White-Nose Syndrome in Bat's Wing
Long-wave ultraviolet (UV) and white-light illumination of lesions associated with white-nose syndrome. Wing from dead Tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) lit from above with hand-held 51 LED 385-nm UV flashlight shows points of orange–yellow fluorescence.
Bat with White-nose Syndrome
Hibernating little brown bat with white muzzle typical of White-nose syndrome.
Bat White-nose Syndrome: There is a New Fungus Among Us By Dr. David Blehert
Since first discovered in 2007 in New York, white-nose syndrome has spread to 16 states, including Virginia and Maryland, and four Canadian provinces. The disease is estimated to have killed over five million hibernating bats. An outbreak of infectious disease among bats on the order of white-nose syndrome is without precedent, and although insect-feeding wild bats may
...
Beyond Billions: Threatened Bats are Worth Billions to Agriculture
Insect-eating bats provide pest-control services that save the U.S. agriculture industry over $3 billion per year, according to a study released today in the journal Science. However, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Pretoria in South Africa, University of Tennessee, and Boston University who contributed to the study warn that these valuable
...
Dead Bats Near Cave Entrance
Bats die prematurely when affected by white-nose syndrome.
Hibernating Bats with White-nose Syndrome
Bats showing signs of infections with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome.
Hibernating little brown bat with white muzzle and spots on wings
Hibernating little brown bat with white muzzle and spots on wings typical of white-nose syndrome. (Photo by Greg Turner, Pennsylvania Game Commission)